Sunday, February 22, 2009

Having spent the last week in beautiful British Columbia (well, Burnaby and Vancouver), I’ve really come to appreciate the size of the upcoming 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. At times, it felt as if I couldn’t walk a block in downtown Vancouver without seeing an Olympic logo, or a display of Quatchi, Miga, and Sumi peering through a storefront window or from a billboard perch. While it's exciting that British Colombians and Canadians are hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics, I’m torn on how I feel about the games.

These kind of costs strengthen the argument for the creation of two permanent Olympic host cities that would host the games and infrastructure every four years (one each for the Winter and Summer games).

2)An Olympic-sized economic cocoon. There is a strong argument that the Olympic-related construction and investment in Vancouver has temporarily cocooned much of the Lower Mainland from the economic recession that has hit most of North America. Though this may be temporary, it’s hard to argue that the 2010 games aren’t providing a lot of people with jobs this year.

Six billion? That ought to work out to about $2 billion per gold if our athletes perform their ritual choke and fail to "own the podium." Cheap at twice the price, I say. After all, once the Olympics are over, Vancouver residents will be able to thrill to speed skating on a year round basis - that oughtta help relieve those boring Vancouver Friday nights. And, poor Whistlerites, reeling from the high cost of premium wines and spirits, will be able to replenish their depleted trust funds by renting their properties for exorbitant fees to Canadian cabinet ministers and IOC mucky-mucks. Everyone wins (except, of course, the Canadian athletes and the taxpayers who support them, though that support is miniscule in relation to real sporting countries)!

The six billion dollar figure covers alot of projects that would have been completed anyways, such as the Canada Line ($2 billion), the Sea to Sky upgrades (~$600 million) and an expanded convention centre ($870 million). That amount also covers private spending, including airport expansion ($400 million) and the Olympic Village ($1.1 billion) which arguably would have happend anyways aswell. (the Olympic Village is condos and will be cost recovered at around 65%, the rest pays for public amenities and ~ 250 social housing units).

All the venues have been covered by ticket and sponsorship sales.

Security costs are out of control no one can deny that, but to say the games cost $6 billion is disingenuous. That creates the impression that tax payers wrote a $6 billion dollar cheque and that that amount was diverted from other sources or could have been spent in other ways.

Security costs are the only amount that would not have been spent or do not pay for themselves.

I don't think it is merely the cost of the Olympics that can be seen as a problem. The construction, and the games themselves have and will cause a major inconvenience to those living in the lower mainland. Not only does the construction make it difficult to get around, but the actual games themselves will force many of the city's inhabitants who don't appreciate hosting such an expensive show for three weeks to leave the city. Yes businesses will thrive for those three weeks, but does that really justify subjecting the residents of the greater Vancouver area to images, toys, and actual mascot sized Quatchis everywhere they go years leading up to the events?

Canadian Athletes already have prime training facilities in Calgary. Why couldn't we have hosted the Olympics where the facilities had already been built?

I am not a supporter of public funding of elite sports, but as things are moving forward on this, it does not make sense to CAUSE more public funidng to deal with those opposed to it. Get out of the way and make things better, don't be fools and stand in the way of the train - it's coming anyways!

Also, there will undoubtedly be a tremendous benefit when visitors eat, stay, buy things because those dollars do pay employees and provide tax dollars that can be used for the benefit of all the community.

There will always be some inconvenience to commuters - it may be road repairs, new roads, or a parade - so the argument about convenience is lame.

The 2010 Games are coming, get over it and find something else to be bitter about.

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The opinions expressed on this blog represent my own and not those of my employer or any organization I may be affiliated with.In addition, my thoughts and opinions change from time to time. I consider this a necessary consequence of having an open mind. This blog is intended to provide a semi-permanent point in time snapshot and manifestation of the various ideas running around my brain, and as such any thoughts and opinions expressed within out-of-date posts may not the same, nor even similar, to those I may hold today.

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Who is Dave Cournoyer? I am a writer, blogger, communicator, occasional media pundit, political watcher, & proud life-long Albertan. I studied Political Science at the University of Alberta and have served as Vice-President (External) of the U of A Students' Union, Chair of the Council of Alberta University Students, and communications coordinator for Alberta's official opposition party.